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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28405638">Radiant</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/alchemicink/pseuds/alchemicink'>alchemicink</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Developing Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Introspection, M/M, Post-Canon, Sunrises</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:46:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,573</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28405638</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/alchemicink/pseuds/alchemicink</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko thinks he and Sokka are like two errant embers dancing around a campfire</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Radiant</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeesaurusRex/gifts">CoffeesaurusRex</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is for my dear Crystal. I've been wanting to write this pairing for a while, so she gave me the prompt "sunlight" and this is what I came up with. It's incredibly sappy lol, but I hope y'all enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The noon day sun blazes overhead, bright and hot as ever when Zuko steps outside. His firebending power simmers underneath his skin, begging to be unleashed. </p>
<p>But Zuko is not in a mood to hurl fireballs at training targets or send flames swirling through the air. It's one of those days in the palace where he wants to forget he's a firebender at all, wants to forget he's in charge of a whole country now. His bending is just a reminder of the weight bearing down on his shoulders. </p>
<p>"Hey, Zuko!" </p>
<p>Sokka's voice rips through his thoughts from somewhere nearby, and he turns to see him leaning out of a second floor window, waving cheerfully even though he's in danger of falling too far forward and landing face first in the bushes below. </p>
<p>"You busy right now?" Sokka continues. "I've got a new sword! And I need someone to practice with." </p>
<p>As if to prove his point, Sokka dangles the sword out of the window too. The sheath captures the sunlight in a way that makes the dark material seem to sparkle, though it seems dull in comparison to Sokka's proud grin. Zuko remembers commissioning the sword for Sokka a couple weeks ago, after months of listening to Sokka threaten to try to forge one himself. (Zuko doesn't have many Water Tribe ambassadors here and he'd hate to see his favorite one accidentally burn his hands off or something.) He didn't know the completed sword had finally arrived. </p>
<p>"I can spare five minutes to beat you in a spar," Zuko calls back, smirking as Sokka instantly pouts at his obvious teasing. </p>
<p>"Just you wait until I get down there!" Sokka yells, already disappearing from the window. </p>
<p>"Bring me my swords too!" Zuko calls out after him. </p>
<p>It doesn't take long before Sokka scrambles into the courtyard, lugging all three swords with him balanced precariously in his arms. </p>
<p>"Ugh, why is it so hot out here?" Sokka complains, letting an exasperated expression settle on his face as he squint-glares up in the general direction of the sun as if it had personally risen that day to spite him. </p>
<p>"<em>You</em> wanted to sword fight right now during the hottest time of the day," Zuko chuckles. </p>
<p>Despite the heat, the hilt of both his swords feel cool in his hands. He makes a few practice swings and then takes a defensive stance. </p>
<p>Sokka mirrors the position, his technique only slightly different as he gets used to the new weapon. Suddenly, he wipes away his lighthearted grin to replace it with a serious frown of concentration. Under the blazing sun, Zuko can already see beads of sweat forming on his forehead. </p>
<p>That somehow only makes Sokka look more determined. </p>
<p>And that look makes Zuko feel like someone's just lit a fire in the pit of his stomach, spreading a pleasant warm feeling all over his body. It's how Zuko often feels in Sokka's company these days. </p>
<p>They don't speak as they fight, focusing all their concentration on winning the spar without accidentally injuring one another. Zuko watches Sokka's movements carefully, guessing his strikes before he swings them forward. Sunlight glints off the metal like a beacon guiding his way. </p>
<p>As predicted, it doesn't take Zuko very long to disarm Sokka and send the new sword flying through the air to land in the grass nearby. </p>
<p>Sokka groans dramatically at the loss, like this is the greatest tragedy since Toph last visited and ate his whole stash of seal jerky. </p>
<p>"It's too hot out here for swordfighting," he complains, flopping onto the grass alongside his lost weapon. </p>
<p>Zuko laughs because now Sokka just looks like he's casually sunbathing. </p>
<p>"It was your idea," he points out. He steps forward to block the sun from Sokka's view, providing him with a tiny bit of relief at least. </p>
<p>Zuko feels a lot better now than he had been earlier sulking under the weight of his responsibilities. He probably should head back to work now, but he's glad Sokka always seems to make an appearance just when he needs it most. </p>
<p>Almost like he has a special "cheer up Zuko" sense, more powerful than any kind of bending. </p>
<p>"Okay, okay," Sokka sighs. "Next rematch has to take place at midnight. It's only fair." </p>
<p>"I think I'll still win." </p>
<p>Sokka suddenly grins up at him. "We'll see." </p>
<p>☀️~☀️~☀️</p>
<p>"I call it a thingamajig," Sokka declares, gesturing to the nonsensical pile of mismatched parts in front of them. "But that's because I don't have a real name for it yet." </p>
<p>Zuko scratches his forehead as he looks at Sokka's latest weird invention. </p>
<p>"What's it do?" </p>
<p>"...I don't quite know yet." </p>
<p>Zuko rolls his eyes. He's pretty sure Sokka has been working on this thing lately in an attempt to avoid the most annoying parts of his ambassador duties. </p>
<p>Not that Zuko can blame him. Negotiations and other annoying politics have taken up too much of their time lately. Zuko prefers the moments when he and Sokka can talk like this instead, privately and away from the stodgy conversation of nobles and other high-ranking officials. </p>
<p>In fact, Zuko would choose to spend as much time in Sokka's company as he can over anything any day. There's something about the other guy that just draws him in, like a moth gravitating towards a flame during a dark night. </p>
<p>It helps that he shines so brightly that Zuko can hardly ever look away. </p>
<p>"Help me take it outside and I'll turn it on," Sokka says, already trying to maneuver the object into his hands. He twists into awkward stances trying to find the right angle to distribute the weight. </p>
<p>It takes them several minutes and several curses before they make it out to a small garden near the kitchens. There's a rare breeze blowing, adding some relief to the heat as lazy clouds pass by overhead. They set the contraption on a stone bench nearby, and then they both take a step back to observe it in its new environment. </p>
<p>"Now what?"</p>
<p>Sokka doesn't answer his question right away. He taps his chin with his finger as he squints at his own invention. </p>
<p>Zuko watches him, can practically hear the gears turning in the other's head. Sometimes he's in awe of how smart Sokka is, how he comes up with plans on the fly, how he looks at things from different perspectives to figure something out. </p>
<p>"Here goes nothing," Sokka suddenly announces, and then smacks the top of the invention with the palm of his hand. </p>
<p>It makes a whirring sound, then a very concerning clicking sound, and then a hissing sound like a slowly deflating balloon that's given up. </p>
<p>Then silence. </p>
<p>The invention apparently does nothing but reflect the sunlight like a pretty, albeit useless, trinket. </p>
<p>A laugh bubbles up in Zuko's throat before he can stop it from spilling out. </p>
<p>"<em>Nothing</em> is right," he teases. </p>
<p>But Sokka is unfazed. He nudges Zuko with his elbow. </p>
<p>"It made you laugh, didn't it? That's something." </p>
<p>"You can do that without an invention," Zuko says without stopping to think about his words. </p>
<p>Sokka tries to pick up the hunk of metal again to return back inside (and presumably return to tinkering with it). He smirks even as he struggles under the weight of it. </p>
<p>"Sometimes I just like trying new things anyway." </p>
<p>☀️~☀️~☀️</p>
<p>Zuko wakes up with a dull pain in his shoulder and neck, the consequences of falling asleep in a weird position at his desk. The papers and books he and Sokka had been pouring over remain scattered in front of them, all forgotten and unimportant now. Zuko frowns and wipes away a drop of drool he left behind on the desk. </p>
<p>It takes him a few moments to shake off the grogginess of a forgotten dream and ground himself back to the waking world. </p>
<p>He glances to his right to see Sokka sleeping too, using his arms as a pillow on the cold wooden desk. Dawn is just breaking and the first rays of sunlight for the day slip in through the window nearby. The light illuminates his expressionless peaceful face, devoid of both the tight lines of concentration or the loose relaxation of laughter. </p>
<p>Zuko probably shouldn't stare, but he's struck by how <em>beautiful</em> Sokka looks in the soft lighting. Radiant. Like he might ruin his eyes if he looks directly at him for too long. </p>
<p>Zuko doesn't acknowledge these feelings often, preferring to bury them deep down. Smother the feelings for Sokka before they flare up into an inferno. Unstoppable. </p>
<p>He thinks Sokka might feel the same, but they continue dancing around it like two errant embers swirling around a campfire. </p>
<p>Sokka stirs, wincing as he too is hit with the pain of sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Still half-asleep, he blinks up at Zuko. </p>
<p>"The sun's in your eyes," he mutters, barely audible as sleep starts overtaking him again. "It's nice. Makes 'em sparkle." </p>
<p>Zuko can't stop a small smile from spreading across his face at the groggy compliment. Sokka probably won't even remember it later when he's fully awake and rambling about breakfast. </p>
<p>But Zuko will remember it, tuck it away in his heart for safekeeping. Maybe pull it out again whenever they decide to stop dancing around each other. </p>
<p>"I think the sun's always in my eyes when I look at you," he answers back quietly.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If anyone wants to say hi, I'm on Twitter @Notorious_HAT</p></blockquote></div></div>
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